Idea Cyberpunk Cowboy MMORPG

[Chordling]

Hey, I had this little thought pop into my head a few weeks back. I might have a problem. Feel free to browse, comment, and ask questions to all of the content that I document here. The idea is still in the fetal stages of planning and I do not expect to start this for at least a few months since I am already GMing the previous setting that I shared.

The major things that I have considered so far are the setting, the characters, and the plot of the story. Roleplayers would write as a proficient video gamer. Their video game of choice? Western Cowboy MMORPG. The played video game character will be described during character creation for the CS. Players will be able to choose their username, character class (skill trees?), weapons, clothing, cosmetics, and mounts (maybe). Story scenes will occur in the Western MMORPG but also within the reality of the characters- a futuristic cyberpunk metropolis. The gamers are all a part of the same server. They have hundreds if not thousands of hours logged into the game (and who knows how much money they've spent on loot boxes). The gaming community for Western Cowboy MMORPG is typical like any other. There are those who are friendly and then there are trolls. But a mysterious player brings attention to them as they drop hints to unthinkable planned acts.

The thread is now open for discussion.

 

[Crow]

In the context of the RP, how neccessary is spending irl money?

 

[Chordling]

In the context of the RP, how neccessary is spending irl money?

In game currency will be more important than real life currency with how the story may develop. Even then, it’s not central to the roleplay.

 

[TPBx]

Did I just see [Pro]ficient [Gamer]. I'm sold /s

Also wait this sounds like the plot for SAO II: Gun Gale Online but minus the VR, Lightsabers, and Kirito. Sounds good. Genuine Interest. Now the real question would be how does the game work. Is it more competitive like CS or Siege with RPG elements, or is it like less chill Red Dead Redemption.

 

[Chordling]

TPBx

I have not heard of SAO II. My initial reaction was that it would feel more like RDRII, but I haven't seen any gameplay from that either, so I am not sure how accurate the statement is. I would like to incorporate a competitive element but in a way that the developers never intended. I want it to be something that the player base was able to create based on the available features of the game.

 

[TPBx]

Chordling

So you've probably heard of the anime Sword Art Online (SAO). The anime where the whole meme of "You die in the game you die in real life" started. Well for the first half of the 2nd season (SAO II) the overarching plot is that they have finally escaped the game, and the main character, Kirito, moves onto a new VRMMORPG to start anew while also to investigate a series of murders that could be related to a group of serial killers from the first season. This game also happens to be an Futuristic Cyberpunk Shooter MMORPG with some old Western Elements (character designs and even a mini game). And the villains plot in this part of the story is that they want to recreate the Death Game of the 1st Season in every game, so what they do is kill IRL anyone who dies in the game's big tournament.

So in that regard there's quite a few similarities from setting to possible plot points. Though idk if you would want to go that route. But I liked the story but it could've done away with a lot of the anime shlock like the main character's plot armor and power of friendship. Focus more on gamers doing real gamer things to become the top players of the game. As for a competitive scene the developers never intended for. I think that's an interesting idea, but slowly becoming less believable with the current state of gaming, especially since even single player games can be competitive given the whole field of speedrunning.

 

[Chordling]

TPBx

I really appreciate the insight and it looks like you gave a concise summary of the SAO premise. There do seem to be a lot of comparisons, which I think is really cool! My setting will not threaten the players' lives through the video game. I don't want to mess with that. I would like the game to be immersive in other ways though. Speedrunning is definitely an interesting option I could consider. There were a few others I was thinking of, like character stats for bragging rights, loot collections, etc. A lot of the energy I am currently drawing on is from BL2. But I may turn into a completely different direction and go all Darkest Dungeon. But the other part of me wants to watch some RDR2 gameplay because that's the biggest, most modern Western game that I am aware of.

 

[Chordling]

Here's a quick, juicy thought that just popped into my head. I think it could be fun to utilize Discord to emulate an "In-Character" instant messenger within the video game itself.

 

[TPBx]

Here's a quick, juicy thought that just popped into my head. I think it could be fun to utilize Discord to emulate an "In-Character" instant messenger within the video game itself.

Just have Discord be Discord lol. Its where gamers hang out and do voice calls anyways. I think maybe having an in character section or having an entire dedicated server for IC usage would be cool.

 

[Idea]

Hey, I had this little thought pop into my head a few weeks back. I might have a problem. Feel free to browse, comment, and ask questions to all of the content that I document here. The idea is still in the fetal stages of planning and I do not expect to start this for at least a few months since I am already GMing the previous setting that I shared.

The major things that I have considered so far are the setting, the characters, and the plot of the story. Roleplayers would write as a proficient video gamer. Their video game of choice? Western Cowboy MMORPG. The played video game character will be described during character creation for the CS. Players will be able to choose their username, character class (skill trees?), weapons, clothing, cosmetics, and mounts (maybe). Story scenes will occur in the Western MMORPG but also within the reality of the characters- a futuristic cyberpunk metropolis. The gamers are all a part of the same server. They have hundreds if not thousands of hours logged into the game (and who knows how much money they've spent on loot boxes). The gaming community for Western Cowboy MMORPG is typical like any other. There are those who are friendly and then there are trolls. But a mysterious player brings attention to them as they drop hints to unthinkable planned acts.

The thread is now open for discussion.

In my own personal opinion, the one thing that would maybe kill it for me is actually that last part. I think this is the sort of idea that could get me more into a genre I don't usually engage with, namely western, simply cause I love VRMMORPG settings. However, that thing about the whole "mysterious player" thing just kinda makes me think that the RP would be less focused on exploring this fun game idea and more on some other mystery tangentially related to the game if at all that just kind of distracts from the whole thing and may even make playing the game a whole dilemma in of itself... I would much rather just play in a roleplay about a game and people playing in it than tagging on some other random mystery plot for the billionth time.

Entirely my personal stance and wishes of course.

Here's a quick, juicy thought that just popped into my head. I think it could be fun to utilize Discord to emulate an "In-Character" instant messenger within the video game itself.

That definitely seems like a super fun idea

 

[Chordling]

The biggest battle this setting faces right now is whether I want to focus on the video game or the story. I’m inclined to go with the story and use the video game as the flavor.

 

[Idea]

The biggest battle this setting faces right now is whether I want to focus on the video game or the story. I’m inclined to go with the story and use the video game as the flavor.

Not the choice I would prefer, but a perfectly legitimate approach. Whichever one you choose of course, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[TPBx]

The biggest battle this setting faces right now is whether I want to focus on the video game or the story. I’m inclined to go with the story and use the video game as the flavor.

Not the choice I would prefer, but a perfectly legitimate approach. Whichever one you choose of course, I wish you the best of luck.

Yeah agree with Idea on this. As its not the choice I would prefer. But I'll give you some reasons why you should go with focusing on the game itself. It feels incredibly rare that anyone writing about games actually focuses on the game itself. Which is really disappointing because there are stories like Log Horizon, King's Avatar, and I Dont Want To Get Hurt So I Maxed Out My Defense that focus on the game itself that are incredibly good.

Because the games themselves and competition behind them builds and fuels storylines. Theres a reason why in for example League of Legends you have Faker and SKT T1, the Unkillable Demon King and the greatest Esports Dynasty. You have EVO Moment #37 and the Daigo Parry. The Smash Documentary and the grass roots Super Smash Bros Melee scene that has kept a party game alive for nearly 20 years. The miraculous return of Rainbow Six: Siege, a game that was a dumpster fire at launch and five years later is now arguably the 2nd or 3rd biggest competitive multiplayer shooter in the world. Or how Speedrunners broke Mario Kart 64's infamous Choco-Mountain.

Like go check out theScoreEsports or SummoningSalt YT channels as they do a lot of content that tells these stories in like a documentary format for eSports and Speedrunning respectively.

 

[Chordling]

It may be a case where I have the roleplay mission based. I feel like it could be a happy medium for story telling/ gameplay. I just started watching some RDR2 gameplay and I already have a lot of ideas.

 

[TPBx]

Also to add on in case you dont know about any of those 3 shows.

Log Horizon is another I got sent to a parallel world show. But instead its a bunch of gamers who wake up in the world of the RPG they all play called Log Horizon and it follows the exploits of the Guild Master who made the group who conquered all of the games hardest content as he and his new guild fight to survive this new situation with a heavy focus on the understanding of MMORPG mechanics like fighting Raid Bosses, in-game economy, guild politics, etc.

King's Avatar is a Chinese anime about a former pro esports player and his quest to reclaim his title as the number 1 player in this MMORPG. The show itself focuses on the struggles of professional esports players and the skills that separate them and the average player as they show each players in depth understanding of the inner workings of the game, their character, skills, and matchups. As well as the drive and passion it takes to be the best.

I Don't Want To Get Hurt So I Maxed Out My Defense is a funner, more casual story that just follows a noob who started playing vrmmoprgs and her wacky character build that turns out to be one of the strongest in the game. And the shenanigans that ensue when her accidental creativity and ingenuity pushes the limits of the game. But at the end of the day is a cute story about discovering the freedom and joy of gaming.